Make-and-break igniter for explosive-engines.



100.881,008. PATENTED MAR. s, 1908.

` MAKE 'AND BREAK IGNITER FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLIGATION FILED 08.11.29. '1007.

f @met Renner niroENie, onoiii/iniiN,l NEW JERSEY, nssioifon, BY Dinner AND MiisNii AssieN 2 MnNrs, To NionoLAsA. rn'inv, 'or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

MAirE-AND-Bnnaxienrrnn non ExrLosrvE-ENGINES. l

the electrodes will be maintained vonly during the limited-`period necessary for the producark, the opening Vand .closing of,

tion ofthe s circuit ing eiected 151W" -iiations of pressui'ein the engine. f f

ln the automatically .by cylinder 'of the accompanying drawing z-Figure isv av sectional view, of a' 'make-.andebreak igniter constructed in accordance with my invention, the parts being in the position as-k sumed by them when the circuit is open; Fig.

2 is a similar view ,showingtheparts in the position "assumed Just after the circuit has een closed and'fbefoie the separation'-oflthe electrodes for 'rodu'eing'the spark; Figf is a similar viewv ut 4iliiistratingv 1 separated to produce the spark," erspective view'of one of t e electrodes an itscarrier;'Fi 5-is aperspective 3o other lelectro eA and its carrier view of the Fig. .is -a transverse section 'of-the latter .structuregand representing, in

F' .77;8`jand 9' are view s di 'erent positions,"a special form of circuit o ener and closer whlch l sometimes eni- 1317i the drawing,`f1 represents part of the head of thelcylinder of a. gasengine, a-gasolene engine, or other' engine of the explosive v crjnternal combustion type, and 2 represents 4o a tubular plgvsclcwedmtoathrcaded opening in said head and having m-itaouter end4 a screw ca 3;

Guided within the plug 2is 'a tubular plunger 4 having a hollow stem with shoulder 5 45 'and enlarged hollow head 6, the lower` end of the 'latter being closed by a lug 7 insulated from the plunger and also aving an insu- .lated connection with a rod 9, the latter belikewisev insulatedfrom the stem ofthe provided, at its outer end, with means 'for connecting to it one of the batterywires 10, thevother pole ofthe battery beine' in connection. with 'the lhead 1 of thecylin er.

. ,specication or Letters Patent. Appiicaaon met January 29,1907.- sei-iai Np'. 354,722.-

' screwed electrodes 'of the Y rlllie plug-7 is -ber 1 5 across t The o ject of my invention is teso confgi'nes that the-circuit'through. ligniter and ytent of separation'.

y blockZO of lessver'tical plunger 4. and the inner -justment of the he electrodes- Aby rig. .i is alnto the lower openend of the plug is..

Patented March 3, 190s.

provided with a latinum tipA 14.

lliollow and contains a chame bottom Aof which extends a brid e bar 16 4having a depending stem 17 whic constitutes the other electrode of the is also,.by preference, provided with a platinum tip 19.

By adjustment of the of the electrodes to prolduce the spark can be readilyiegulated.

'. The chamber-15 of the plug-7 contains a dimensionsA than said chamber and reeto rise and tallA therein,the

.-top of the block being inclined or beveled as shown.

, Bctweenthe shoulder on the steinof the en d*I of the screw cap.

3- is interposed a coiled spring21, the tension -of which can 'be' readily regulated by adsaid'screw cap 3, downward movement 'of the plunger being prevented contact of the tips of the electrodes.

i Normally, the arts occupy the relations shown inljig. 1 t tact but out of circuit, owing to the fact that the conducting rod 9 is insulated from the er electrode.

lu' 7 which carries' the up lock 20 rests n er these circumstances the al ring 11 ,having a transverse bridge bar 12, with .central boss carryingjan ad- 'jnsting screw 13, which constitutes one of the igniter. and is preferably electrode 13, the exe electrodes being inconupon the bridge bar. 16 of said upper elec-' trpde and is rcefrom any contact with 4the lower end of the conductor rod 9.

On` the compression stroke of the engine, however, the block 20 isforced upwardly in the chamber' 1 5 by the pressure tol which it is subjected and its brought into contact with the lower end of the rod 9, theblock tilted so as Jto'briigr iiiitolorcible contact withthe walls of the chamber 15, aszshown beveled upper face is I 'bei g thereby tipped or Y in Fig. 2, thus com leting the electrical connection between electrode through bar 16.

When the compres ion reaches its maximum thepre'ssure lon the lower end of the plunger overcomes the downward Apressure of the spring 21 thereon .and saidv plunger'is accordingly lifted trodes and produce vthe spark as shown in Fig. 3. As soon as the pressure in the cylinder, due to the expansionl of the explpded t e rod 9 and the upper 10.9. the plug and the bridge ici y soas to separate the elec'- iisg.

resistance of' forces the plunger ownwardly and brings the -electrodes into contact, and as the ressure is still further reduced the block 'alls in the chamber 15 and opens the circuit which remains 'open until the next compression stroke, whereuponthe operations described are repeated.

In that form of circuit closer and opener shown in Figs. '7, 8 and 9, the plug 20 fits snugly in the chamber 15 oi' the plunger and has a iiat top and depending legs 25, one on each side of the bridge bar 16, each leg having a hooked lower end 26, which underla s the ring 11. Normally the plug rests on tlie bar 16 and is free from contact with the rod- 9, las shown in Fig. 7, but is raised by the pressure in the cylinder so as to contact with the rod and close the circuit, as shown in Fig. 8. Wvhen the plunger 1- is raised, the

v iirst effect of the movement is to separate the electrodes and produce the spark, and as the movement continues the hooked lower ends of the legs 25 of the block 20 come into contact with the ring` 11, and arrest the i'urther upward movement of theblock with the plunger, nheren non the block is removed f from contact'witi the rod 9 and the circuit is o ened. This device ism-many cases prefera le to that shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, because there is less liability to interference with its action by carbon accumulating in the chamber 15 of the plunger.

By reason oi the fact that with either form of device which l have shown and described the battery which supplies the current is in circuit only during the formation of the spark and for a very limited period'belrue and after that time, rapid exhaustion ol the battery which result's when the same is continuously in circuit is prevented, while, owing to the fact that both the opening and closing oi the circuit and the separation of the electrodes are due to variations of ressure inthe cylinder the device is rend ered entirely automatic in its action and expensive and troublesome mechanical devices for Lire purpose are rendered unnecessary.

A pressure-actuated circuit opener and closer in accordance with my invention may, however, if desired; be employed in connection with mechanical devices for eileeting separation of' the electrodes to producen spark, although the construction shown, in which the pressure within the cylinder performs both of these operations, ispreferred.

I claim 1. The combination of the electrodes Oia make-and-break igniter for explosive engines with a circuit-opener-and-closer actuated by variations of pressure in the cylinder 'and vserving to control the circuit independentlylf oi the movement oi the electrodes. V 2i jfihe combination of the electrodes ci a erated by variations of pressure inthe'cylinder and constructed to close the circuit through the electrodes before the pressure in the cylinder acts to separate thesame.

4. The combination of the cylinder of an explosive engine carrying one of the electrodes oi a make-and-break igniter, a sliding. plunger carrying the other` electrode and acted upon in one direction by a spring and 'in the other direction by the pressure in the cylinder, and a pressure-actuated circuito ener-and-closer likewise carried by said p unger. y

5. The combination of the cylinder of an ,explosive engine carrying one of the elec-v trodes of a make-and-break igniter, a sliding plunger carrying the other electrode, a conductor rod insulated from thel plunger and a block movable in` a chamber of the plungerA and serving by variations of pressure upon it to make and break connection between the conductor rod and the plunger.

6. The combination of the cylinder carrying one of the electrodes of a make-and break igniter, a sliding plunger carrying the other electrode, a conductor rod insulated from the plunger, -a pressure-actuated block. movable in respect to said plunger and iorced into contact with said conductor rod by pressure in the cylinder, and means for' positivelv separating the conductor rod andl block zil'ter the plunger has separated the 'electrodes and produced the spark.

7. lhe einnbiriation'of the cylinder carrying one ot' the electrodes of a make-.andbreak ign iler, a sliding lunger carrying 'the other electrode, a com uctor lod insulated from the plunger, and fa pressure-actuated block movable in respect to said plunger and forced .into .Contact with said conductor rod by pressure in the cylinder, said block having hooked legs for engagement with a iixed' member of the device to effect positive separation of the conductor rod and block.

8. The combination of the cylinder of an explosive engine, a lugr open at its inner end to said cylinder an having at said inner end a bridge bar carrying one of the electrodes of a make-and-break igniter, a plunger L v 881,009 A 8f' eonductor rod crred by the plunger 'and inname to this specicatjpn, in the presence of lactuated' 'block contained in the chamber of ,y

5 break electrical connection between said plug I fA vWliJms'ses: and thefeonductor rod.,

sulated from said second plugand a pressure'- L Wo subscribing Witnesses. v said second plug and servi11g'-to make and. ROBERT H' @HAMILTON D. TURNER, In tesmmony whereof, I have s1gned my KATE A. BEADLE. 

